Remote control systems and methods for providing page commands to digital electronic display devices

• US 8,654,074 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auguste Research Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Alpha and Omega Incorporated
• Inventors: Hayes, David Edward, Auguste, Donna Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/159,205
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/169, 345/173, 345/179, 345/184, 345/901, 345/98, 434/98, 434/161, 434/176, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/91, 715/776, 348/375, 348/734
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 4/00 Methods or devices enabling patients or disabled persons to operate an apparatus or a device not forming part of the body operating or control means for prostheses A61F2/48, A61F2/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205

Abstract

A remote control system, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes a remote control device including one or more controls operative to develop at button control signals in response to activation by a user. An interface device is responsive to the button control signals and is operative to provide device control signals via a wired connection to an electronic display device. The device control signals are operative to control an application running on an electronic display device.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

a remote control device including at least one control operative to develop at least one button control signal in response to activation by a user; and

an interface device including a logic circuit responsive to said at least one button control signal and operative to provide at least one device control signal via a wired connection to an electronic display device having a display and one or more buttons to control an image on the display, the at least one device control signal operative to control an application running on the electronic display device to determine which button of the electronic display device is activated to control the image that is displayed;

wherein the interface device is connected to the electronic display device via a docking port connector of the electronic display device.

2. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the remote control device includes a wireless transmitter and the at least one button control signal is wireless, wherein the interface device includes a receiver responsive to said at least one wireless button control signal.

3. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the remote control device is connected to the interface device via a hardwired connection and wherein the at least one button control signal is a signal provided over the wired connection.

4. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the remote control device includes a foot pedal operative to develop the at least one button control signal.

5. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the remote control device includes a switch activated by a user'"'"'s mouth, the switch operative to develop the at least one button control signal.

6. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the application displays an image on a display of the electronic display device and the at least one device control signal is operative to control the display of the image.

7. The remote control system as recited in claim 6 wherein the control of the display of the image includes displaying a different page of a document displayed by the application in response to the at least one button control signal.

8. The remote control system as recited in claim 1 wherein the application running on the electronic display device receives a notification from a notification object running on the electronic display device, the notification provided in response to the electronic interface device receiving the at least one device control signal from the interface device.

9. A remote control system comprising:

at least one control operative to develop at least one activation signal in response to activation by a user; and

an interface device including logic circuitry coupled to the at least one control and operative to receive the at least one activation signal, the logic circuitry including a wireless transmitter operative to transmit at least one device control signal wirelessly to an electronic display device having a display and one or more buttons to control an image on the display, the electronic display device including a wireless receiver operative to the at least one device control signal, wherein the at least one device control signal is operative to control an application running on the electronic display device to determine which button of the electronic display device is activated to control the image that is displayed to change a display of a document displayed by the application on the electronic display device.

10. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the change of the display of the document includes displaying a different page of a displayed document in response to the at least one activation signal.

11. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the control and logic circuitry are disposed in a single remote control enclosure.

12. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the at least one device control signal is recognizable by a wireless-capable component of the electronic display device.

13. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the at least one device control signal according to a Bluetooth wireless protocol.

14. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the at least one control includes a foot pedal operative to develop the at least one activation signal.

15. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the at least one control includes a switch activated by a user'"'"'s mouth, the switch operative to develop the at least one activation signal.

16. The remote control system as recited in claim 9 wherein the remote control system further comprises a button activator comprising code running on the electronic display device for commanding the application to change the display.

17. The remote control system as recited in claim 16 wherein the code running on the electronic display device comprises a notification object such that the application receives a notification from the notification object, the notification provided in response to the electronic interface device receiving the at least one device control signal from the logic circuitry.

18. A method for remotely controlling an electronic display device, the method comprising:

providing a button control signal from a remote control device in response to a control on the remote control device being activated by a user;

connecting an interface device including an interface circuit to an electronic display device via a docking port connector of the electronic display device, the electronic display device having a display and one or more buttons to control an image on the display; and

receiving said button control signal at the interface device, decoding said button control signal using a digital processor of the interface circuit to derive a device control signal, and providing the device control signal to the electronic display device, the at least one device control signal operative to control an application running on the electronic display device to determine which button of the electronic display device is activated to control the image that is displayed.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the application displays an image on a display of the electronic display device and the at least one device control signal is operative to control the display of the image, wherein the control of the display of the image includes displaying a different page of a document displayed by the application in response to the at least one button control signal.